News & Resources
The latest Thompson Okanagan tourism industry news from TOTA, tourism businesses, and communities.
Save the Date for the 2025 TOTA AGM & Summit
Save the date for the 2025 AGM & Summit!
Save the date for the 2025 TOTA AGM & Summit on October 22 & 23, 2025 in partnership with Tourism Kelowna and the KF Centre for Excellence.
Visit the Summit website for event information and updates. See you all next year!
AGM & Board Director Call for Nominations
The Thompson Okanagan Tourism Association (TOTA) will hold the 2024 Annual General Meeting (AGM) on October 29, 2024, at 3:30-4:30 pm, in the Prestige Vernon Lodge & Conference Centre.
We invite Thompson Okanagan Tourism Association voting stakeholders to put their name forward or to nominate a qualified candidate to serve as a member of the TOTA Board of Directors for a two-year term, effective October 29, 2024, to the 2026 AGM.
The Thompson Okanagan Tourism Association (TOTA) will hold the 2024 Annual General Meeting (AGM) on October 29, 2024, at 3:30-4:30 pm, in the Prestige Vernon Lodge & Conference Centre in Vernon, home of the Okanagan Indian Band and the unceded, traditional territory of the Syilx People.
On behalf of TOTA Vice-Chair and Governance Committee Chair, Sandra Oldfield, we invite Thompson Okanagan Tourism Association voting stakeholders to put their name forward or to nominate a qualified candidate to serve as a member of the TOTA Board of Directors for a two-year term, effective October 29, 2024, to the 2026 AGM.
Leading up to the AGM, the Board Election will take place as follows:
Deadline to become a Voting Member: August 29
Call for Nominations: August 30 - September 20 (3 weeks)
Electronic Voting: October 1 - 15 (2 weeks)
Election results announced at TOTA AGM and first board meeting: October 29
TOTA is committed to assisting and supporting tourism stakeholders and working closely with Destination BC to put the Thompson Okanagan region and the Province of BC at the forefront of innovation as we maneuver through the tourism industry’s changing landscape.
This year, there are 10 openings. 7 directors are letting their names stand for re-election. 4 directors moving into the second year of their 2-year term.
Directors continuing their term:
Owner & Manager
Blind Bay | Shuswap
Executive Director, Travel Penticton Society
Penticton | South Okanagan
Sandra Oldfield, Vice-Chair
Founder
Elysian Projects & Fortify Conference & Tradeshow
South Okanagan
General Manager, Coast Capri Hotel
Kelowna | Central Okanagan
Current directors standing for re-election:
Economic Development & Communications
Westbank | Central Okanagan
Co-Founder / Director, Business Development
Penticton | South Okanagan
Managing Director
Kamloops | Thompson Valleay
General Manager, Best Western Plus Gateway to the Falls
Clearwater | North Thompson
Executive Director
Osoyoos | South Okanagan
Team Leader, Tourism and Film
Tourism Shuswap / Columbia Shuswap Regional District
Salmon Arm | Shuswap
Executive Director
Destination Silver Star / Silver Star Resort Association
Vernon | North Okanagan
Thank you to the exiting directors:
Michael J. Ballingall, Chair (moving into position of Past Chair)
Senior Vice President
Boundary Country
Business Development Officer
Kamloops | South Thompson
Patricia Leslie, Secretary-Treasurer
National People & Culture Business Partner, for the Estate Wine Group of Andrew Peller properties
Okanagan Valley
Submit a Nomination
We look forward to having candidates representing various communities and sectors, with a wide variety of backgrounds and experiences.
Voting members are eligible to put a name forward as a candidate in the election. Candidates must complete the nomination form which includes signatures from 4 voting stakeholders - see details below.
If you or someone you know is interested to run in the TOTA board election and is on the current Voting Stakeholder List, please:
Collect signatures for the nomination form
Submit the nomination form to TOTABC.org/AGM/election by 11:59 pm, September 20, 2024
For questions, please email BoardLiaison@TOTABC.com.
Register for the TOTA AGM & Summit
October 29 - 30, 2024
Hosted with Tourism Vernon & Destination Silver Star
Last chance: Register for TOTA Golf Tournament and enter win great prizes
This year, the 30th on the 30th TOTA Annual Golf Tournament, will the biggest and best golf tournament yet - and there's still time to register and be entered to win 2 Air Canada Round-Trip economy tickets to anywhere Air Canada flies within North America including Hawaii.
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Register for the TOTA Golf Tournament & enter for chance to win 2 Air Canada Round-Trip Tickets
Golfers registered by Friday, May 24 will have a chance to win 2 Air Canada Round-Trip economy tickets to anywhere Air Canada flies.
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TOTA Golf Tournament Save the Date & Call for Sponsors
The 30th Annual Thompson Okanagan Tourism Association (TOTA) Golf Tournament will be hosted at Bighorn Golf & Country Club in Kamloops on Thursday, May 30, 2024, with a full day of food, drink, and fun. Registration will open shortly. We look forward to seeing you there!
The 30th Annual Thompson Okanagan Tourism Association (TOTA) Golf Tournament will be hosted at Bighorn Golf & Country Club in Kamloops on Thursday, May 30, 2024, with a full day of food, drink, and fun.
Mingle with CEOs, hospitality pros, and a variety of people that form the heartbeat of the Thompson Okanagan tourism industry.
The TOTA Golf Tournament is an 18-hole Texas Scramble shotgun format, fun for all participants, no matter your expertise on the course. The afternoon of golf will be followed by a delicious dinner, prizes, and awards!
Registration will open shortly - subscribe to the TOTA News Centre for updates.
TOTA is currently seeking sponsors. To learn about sponsorship opportunities, email Golf@TOTABC.com.
Recap of the Thompson Okanagan Tourism Summit: Biospherology Master Class
The Thompson Okanagan Tourism Summit: Biospherology Master Class was an immersive experience unlike any other Summit the Thompson Okanagan Tourism Association (TOTA) has hosted. 120 people from across the region and British Columbia attended the Summit at Thompson Rivers University (TRU), February 21 - 22, 2023.
Attendees had an action packed day on their feet, moving through the TRU Campus with industry leaders who are experts in their respective fields. Through the Master Class collaborative, “hands on" approach, attendees gained knowledge and inspiration to incorporate responsible, sustainable practices into their communities and workplaces.
On February 21 & 22, the TOTA team hosted the 2022/23 Thompson Okanagan Tourism Summit in Kamloops, with 9 speakers through 6 presentations and 3 immersive sessions, sharing inspiration and key learnings with over 120 attendees.
The Biospherology theme reflected the focus on continuous education for tourism professionals that will ultimately elevate visitor experiences, strengthen businesses, regenerate communities, and reduce impacts within the surrounding environments.
Attendees finished the day with inspiration to take back to their companies and communities. The event was carbon neutral.
In case you missed it (or want to relive it), here are some of the highlights:
Welcome Party
On Tuesday, Tourism Kamloops hosted the Slide Into the Kamloops Social Scene Welcome Party at the Kamloops Curling Club and the Sandman Centre, in conjunction with the Scotties Tournament of Hearts Canadian women’s curling competition.
Attendees got a local taste, with live music by Dave Coalmine appetizers by Black Salt Catering and samples from the following:
The group then ventured to the Sandman Centre to watch provincial teams face off in the tournament.
Biospherology Master Class
On Wednesday, attendees got up bright and early for the Biospherology Master Class at Thompson Rivers University. The day started with breakfast and words of welcome from TOTA CEO Ellen Walker-Matthews.
Attendees ventured to the BC Centre for a Secwépemc welcome from Tk'emlúps te Secwépemc members and drummers. Kúkpi7 Rosanne Casimir shared her story and her community’s journey from finding the missing children at the Kamloops Residential School in 2020, to seeking reconciliation by visiting the Vatican.
We heard from Inuit artist Angus Cockney about his personal experience in residential school and his inspiring story about how he was able to move forward.
It is important to involve Indigenous communities in tourism and industry events, as they are the First Peoples of the land known today as the Thompson Okanagan. Indigenous people have continuously played an important role as stewards and the very core identity of Canadian places. We look forward to seeing Tk'emlúps te Secwépemc and the 32 other Indigenous communities in the region as they grow and thrive.
Today, all individuals and organizations have a role to play in reconciliation. To learn more how tourism professionals and businesses can support reconciliation, visit Indigenous Tourism BC.
The “Working with Indigenous Communities: Guide to Developing Tourism Relationships” is an excellent resource to get started.
Immersive Master Classes
Then the group split into 1 of 3 Immersive Master Class. Each session was held three times so everyone had the chance to learn from the three industry leaders:
Build it Better led by James Gordon from TRU’s Environmental Programs and Research took professionals behind the scenes, walls, and infrastructure of Thompson Rivers University to demonstrate their commitment to a zero carbon future and how they have built infrastructure, systems, and creating innovations to ensure they meet those targets.
Another Perspective: Accessibility Immersive led by Sonja Gaudet (Thompson Okanagan Access & Inclusion Liaison and Gold Medal Paralympian) and Ginger Brunner (go2HR) shared a first hand experience what employees and guests experience if they have difficulties or impairments of sight, sensory, and mobility.
The Trash Buffet by Ben Liegey, founder of Better Table, shared how to utilize food sources that would normally be tossed. This hands-on session demonstrated a less wasteful approach to cooking and eating habits both at work and at home. Planning, education, and creativity can take cores, stems, and peels, then turn them into zero waste culinary magic.
For example, attendees tried a plant based Banana Bread made with banana peels and aquafaba (chickpea water) instead of eggs.
Attendees heard from Tourism Industry Association BC CEO, Walt Judas, on Emergency Preparedness and the BC Emergency Management Framework, including insights into the structure to support tourism partners and visitors on matters related to the four pillars of emergency management: mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery.
Over lunch, Rebecca Mackenzie (CEO + President) of the Culinary Tourism Alliance shared her passion about the interconnection between food, agriculture, tourism, arts, and culture. As well, the Culinary Tourism Alliance’s vision is to ensure food tourism is a meaningful and sustainable contributor to local economies in destinations worldwide. The alliance works with communities to grow food tourism by leveraging the history, heritage, and culture behind the food and drink that makes each destination unique.
As the closing keynote, Sonja Gaudet, Canadian Paralympic Gold Medalist, shared her story as the world’s most decorated wheelchair curler with three Paralympic gold medals (2006, 2010, 2014) and Canadian Curling Hall of Fame and BC Sports Hall of Fame inductee.
Born in North Vancouver and now residing in Vernon, Sonja shared how she has always approached challenges with her “can do” attitude and with that she paved the way for wheelchair curling across the nation.
The event ended with a Graduation Party, to celebrate the learnings of the day and a commitment to move forward better. Graduates received a mason jar grad cap, custom 3D printed from recycled material by The Rogerie. The mason jar was filled with goodies, including soap made with captured carbon dioxide from Fortis BC, part of their Renewable Natural Gas (RNG) program.
Future Events
The next TOTA Summit will be held in Penticton in October/November 2023 in conjunction with the TOTA AGM. As well, TOTA hosts an annual golf tournament in August/September.
More details will be available soon through the TOTA News Centre.
Thank You to Our Sponsors
Thank you to our sponsors - click to visit their website to learn more about their company:
